needlessly
Americanadverb
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Doctors, good doctors, are needed to help make sure that the process goes as smoothly as possible — and that the condemned person does not suffer needlessly.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Without collecting race and ethnicity data in the census, these estimates could not be produced, needlessly wasting resources and endangering lives.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The impact is muted because it instantly clarifies how needlessly trivial everything before it was.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Ms. Day has the young writer’s weakness for showing off knowledge and she needlessly indulges in essay-like digressions on rhetorical terms and Latin etymologies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Waiting for them to cross a yawning crevasse bridged by two rickety ladders spliced end to end, I was shocked to see them go across together, almost in lockstep—a needlessly dangerous act.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
